LEGEND OF SIQUIJOR ISLANDLong, long time ago, Siquijor was not among the
islands in the Philippine Archipelago. One evening a strong earthquake
and a thunderstorm occurred. Flashes of blinding lightning laced the sky
in white fire. Deafening thunder roared. The earth shuddered. The sea raged.
From the churning waters of the ocean's womb was birthed an island. Until
today farmers up in the mountains still find empty giant shells beneath
the surface of their farms. Does this suggest some truth to the theory
that Siquijor rose out of the sea?

Soon the place was covered with varieties of trees,
the greater number of which were tugas (molave) trees. Because of the preponderance
of tugas in the area, old people called the place "katugasan."

At night fireflies covered these trees. Spanish
soldiers and missionaries aboard galleons plying the Visayan area at night
noticed the sparkling nocturnal scene. They called the island "Isla de
Fuegos" or Island of Fire, referring to the eerie glow the island gave
at night as Spanish galleons passed by.

Wishing to know more about the mysterious island,
the Spaniards visited the place. Upon their arrival, they met a native
who was fishing. They asked him in Spanish what the name of the place was.
The native thought he was asked his name and responded "Si Kihod," limping
around to demonstrate how he got his name. Because Spaniards found it difficult
to pronounce the "d" eventually "Si Kihod" was changed to Siquijor.

Others maintained that King Kihod was the island's
legendary ruler. Still others claimed that "Kihod" is the beginning of
low tide when the seawater is drawn from the shore to the open sea. The
Spaniards arrived at the place when the sea was ebbing.

Very little is known about Siquijor and its inhabitants
before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. The original inhabitants
came as farmers and fishermen from Cebu, Bohol and the adjacent islands.

Talingting (Enrique Villanueva)For governance, the Spanish authorities appointed
several Kapitanes and cabezas de barangay to oversee the village. Foremost
of the Kapitanes were the late Kapitan Anong (Marciano Tejano) who ruled
the portion in the souther part of the village. Tan Anong, as he was fondly
called, is the worthy progenitor of the illustrious Tejano clan of Libo
and Olave. The central part of the village was given to the late Kapitan
Indong (Pedro Pal-ing) from whom descended the Dominguez and Aquino families
in direct line. The northern part of the village became the territory of
the late Kapitan Pasyo (Bonifacio Paragamac), the patriarch of the Orquillas
and Concepcion clan in Tulapos.

In 1903, a cholera epidemic struck that almost
wiped out the population of Talingting. Scores of people succumbed daily
to the dreaded disease. The corpses hard to be carried to Larena for the
church rites and burial. Since there were no means of transportation at
that time, the caskets had to be placed on makeshift bamboo stretchers
and carried by pole bearers all the way to Larena, a good twelve kilometers
from the village. Since quite a number had to buried daily, the people
had to make several trips each day. At the height of the epidemic, it was
not unusual to see people carrying corpses to and from Larena, as some
people who were with the funeral procession were overtaken by the disease
along the way and had to be carried back on the same stretcher to be buried
the next day.

It was a gruesome sight to see and endless trek
of people negotiating the mountainous trail to Larena to bury their dead,
and to carry back on their way home another victim of the disease who fell
along the way.

In 1918, another epidemic took a heavy toll of
lives. This time, the dreaded smallpox disease, created untold hardships,
suffering and misery among the village folks. Those who witnessed the 1903
cholera epidemic thought that the wrath of the evil spirits was on them.

It was the sad and tragic experiences of the people
in the village that made them entertain the idea of seceding from Larena
as a separate political entity and to enjoy greater autonomy in the conduct
of their political affairs.

The task of bringing the matter of autonomy to
the authorities in Negros Oriental, which was the seat of the provincial
government at that time, fell on a committee created for the purpose. The
committee which was composed of prominent people in the village, was headed
by the late Rafael Maglangit who lost no time in bringing the matter to
the authorities in Negros Oriental. A representation was made in the Philippine
Legislature. Finally in April 1924, the municipality of Enrique Villanueva
was inaugurated. It comprised the territory of the whole village of Talingting,
from Lotloton in the south to Bitaug in the north, a total of 14 barangays
in all.

The first to occupy the mayoralty was the late
Rafael Maglangit, a principal teacher by profession and the head of the
delegation that petitioned for complete separation of Talingting. He served
until 1932 and was succeeded by Patricio Para who served from 1932 until
the Japanese occupation in 1943.

During the Japanese time in 1943, the Japanese
Military government appointed the late Eustaquio Tedlos as mayor of the
town. In the early days of the American liberation of the Philippines,
the USAFFE instituted the late Casiano Aque to act as mayor of the town
to replace Eustaquio Tedlos who was accused of collaborating with the Japanese.

Between 1945 and 1946, when the Commonwealth Government
was finally restored, Maryo Patricio Para came back to serve the remaining
days of his term.

Early in April 1946, barely 8 months after the
end of World War II, a general election was held in the Philippines. Former
Mayor Casiano Aque who ran as mayor under the Liberal Party won overwhelmingly
over his opponent.

Mayor Casiano Aque served for 2 terms when he
was elected again in the elections in 1949. In 1953 he lost to Roque Aquino.
Aquino served as mayor until the early days of his second term when he
was appointed Provinical Assessor for Siquijor. His vice mayor, Angel Putong,
took over until the end of the term. In 1961, Angel Putong lost to Porferio
Inguito. From then on, several personalities graced the mayoralty seat
in succeeding political exercises. They were:Daniel PatayAlfredo OrquillasPorferio InguitoEarl Stanley Matas (the present mayor, as of
January 1997)It should be noted that during the martial law
regime, then Assemblyman Manolito Asok filed a bill changing the name enrique
Villanueva to Talingting, the old familiar name for which the town is popularly
known. The bill which became a law now mandates that for all forms and
purposes, the name TALINGTING should be used to refer to the previous name
of EnriqueVillanueva.

Such is the history of Talingting, a small but
peaceful town in the northeastern part of Siquijor which in the course
of time was able to produce 3 provincial governors; Vicente Villanueva,
Marcial Pal-ing, and Ben P. Aquino); two division superintendents for the
DECS Division of Siquijor; Victorio Concepcion and Candida D. Samson.

LaziThe town of Lazi was founded in 1857. It was
headed by a capitan. The first capitan was Tan Basio. The succeeding capitanes
included the following: Tamayo, Binong, Ayong Malicay, Belto Alaya-ay,
Terong Monte, Tazan Calunod, Tonyo Aljas, and Feliciano Balolong. Tan Cayong
was the juez de sementera. Nicolas Balmadres and Tan Juan Ibor were maestros
municipales.

During the American occupation, the presidents
were Narciso Tangcalagan, 1916-1919; Placido Ligutom, 1919-1922; Eustaquio
Ligutom, 1922-1924; Fermin Paglinawan, 1925-1927; Antonio Marchan, 1928-1930.
Telesforo Lumacad became the first municipal mayor. He served for 3 consecutive
terms. He was the municipal mayor during the Japanese occupation. He was
forced to surrender to the Japanese because the Japanese threatened to
kill all other municipal officials. He was put to jail. During the liberation
time, Marcelo Fua served as the town mayor. He was then followed by Arturo
Ontal and Vicente Monte

JAPANESE OCCUPATIONWithout having been at the center of military
action, Siquijor had not been spared by World War II. Japanese detachments
occupied the island. Guerillas engaged in sabotage and the interaction
wrought havoc on lives and properties.

At this period, Siquijor was briefly governed
by Shunzo Suzuki, a Japanese civilian appointed by the Japanese Imperiol
Forces until he was assassinated by the guerilla forces led by Iluminado
Jumawanin Caipilan, Siquijor in October 1942. Mamor Fukuda took over the
control of Siquijor from June 1943 until the Japanese forces abandoned
the island when the liberation forces came in 1944.

At the outbreak of World War II, Siquijor, then
a sub-province of Negros Oriental, was headed by Lieutenant Governor Nicolas
Parami. Refusing to pledge allegiance to the Japanese Imperial Forces,
Lt. Governor Parami was taken by Japanese soldiers from his residence at
Poo, Lazi one evening and brought to the Military headquarters in Larena.
He was never heard of again.

The Japanese announced their arrival in the island
by heavy shelling. On November 10, 1942, Japanese warships started shelling
Lazi town from Cang-abas Point. Properties and lives were lost. Then followed
the enemy occupation. In Lazi, a garrison was established in the old Home
Economics Building of the Central School.

In 1943, the Japanese Puppet Government appointed
Sebastian Monera of San Juan as governor of Siquijor. His administration
however was cut short when he was executed presumably by Filipino guerillas
operating in the mountains of Siquijor.

American RegimeAt the turn of the century, Spanish sovereignty
in the Philippines came to an end and at the Treaty of Paris in 1898, Spain
ceded the Philippines to the United States.

Siquijor island felt the presence of American
rule when a unit of the American Cavalry Division came over and stayed
for sometime. The American Military Governor in Manila appointed James
Fugate, a scout with the California Volunteers of the U.S. Infantry, to
oversee and to implement the organization and development programs in Siquijor
Island.

Governor Fugate stayed for 16 years as lieutenant
governor of Siquijor. In line with the policy of Civil Governor William
H. Taft advocating The Philippines for the Filipinos", and in consonance
with the provisions of the Jones Law which was passed in 1961, more and
more Filipinos were allowed to hold important offices in the government.
It was during this time that Governor Fugate relinquished his office to
give way to a Filipino in the person of Demetrio Larena who was appointed
governor of Negros Oriental including Siquijor Island, which was then administratively
and politically attached to Negros Oriental as a sub-province.

Governor Demetrio Larena served from 1916 to 1920.
He was responsible for renaming the old town of Canoan to Larena after
his name which held on to the present. He is remembered as the First Filipino
Governor for Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

After his term ended, Pablo Bueno succeeded Governor
Larena. Like his predecessor, Governor Pablo Bueno became the second Filipino
to occupy the position of governor for Negros Oriental and Siquijor. Governor
Bueno only held the office of governor for 2 years from 1920 to 1922.

In 1922 General Leonard Wood visited Siquijor
to appraise its public works. President Manuel L Quezon also came and visited
the island on board the presidential yacht "Casiana."

With the passage of the Jones Act, the government
of the Philippines became autonomous. It was during this time that provincial
governors were elected by suffrage. However, at this time, Siquijor was
under Negros Oriental as a sub-province in which the highest governing
office was vested in a lieutenant governor. In an election held in 1922,
Tomas Padayhag of Larena became the first lieutenant governor to be elected
into office in Siquijor Island. His term of office began in 1922 and ended
in 1924, a period of two years.

In the succeeding election in 1924, Vicente Villanueva
was elected lieutenant governor. He came from the town of Talingting. During
his term, he established the Larena Sub-Provincial High School, which in
time became the Larena National Vocational School until it became the Siquijor
State College today. It was also during his term that Talingting was changed
to Enrique Villanueva, after Negros Oriental Governor Enrique Villanueva
who worked hard to make in into a municipality.

In 1928, Marcial Pal-ing also from Talingting
succeeded Vicente Villanueva, his brother-in-law. Lieutenant Governor Pal-ing
stayed in the office until 1932. During his term, he continued the projects
began by his predecessor Vicente Villanueva especially on the continuing
improvements on the Larena wharf.

In another election in 1932, Sergio Jumawan of
Siquijor town but who chose to reside in Larena was elected Lieutenant-Governor
succeeding Vicente Villanueva.

Rapid development and progress of Siquijor Island
marked the administration of Lieutenant Governor Sergio Jumawan. The island
circumferential road which was laid out by then Governor James Fugate was
improved. The Larena wharf was developed. A separate office of the Bureau
of Public Works was established in Larena. More schoolhouses were constructed.
A telephone line connecting all towns to the central station in Larena
was laid out.

In 1934, Lieutenant Governor Jumawan was elected
as delegate to the Philippine Constitution Convention to frame the Philippine
Constitution to form the basis of the Philippine Commonwealth Government,
which was inaugurated on November 15, 1935.

Siquijor Island, particularly the town of Larena,
saw its heyday when on the third term of Lieutenant Governor Jumawan in
1937, a German prospector discovered a huge manganese deposit in the mountains
of Larena, Enrique Villanueve and Maria. Lieutenant Governor Jumawan, together
with his brothers Engineer Jose Jumawan and Dr. Maximo Jumawan lost no
time in acquiring the mineral rights on these lands. In due time, the manganese
mines were fully operational under the Luzon Stevedoring Company which
was composed of American nationals. Technicians and skilled laborers were
recruited from neighboring islands. The convergence of these people in
Larena spurred business activities, which in no time at all made it a boom
town.

In the elections of 1938, Lieutenant Governor
Jumawan gave way to his brother, Dr. Maximo Jumawan to run for the office
of the Lieutenant-Governor who was challenged by Nicolas Parami from Lazi.
Eventually, Nicolas Parami came out the winner and was duly proclaimed
the fourth elected lieutenant governor of Siquijor.

LIBERATION PERIODToward the end of World War II in the later part
of 1944, the USAFFE appointed Lieutenant Iluminado Jumawan as governor
of Siquijor Island. Governor Iluminado Jumawan, an army officer from Siquijor
town did not live long enough to finish his term of office. On his way
home from Larena, he met a vehicular accident, which prematurely snuffed,
out his life.

Baldomero Samson succeeded Governor Iluminado
Jumawan. He was also an appointee of the USAFFE who served until the early
part of 1946.

San JuanUp to the middle part of the 19th century, San
Juan, formerly a tribal village known as Capilay, was a part of the vast
municipality of Siquijor while its eastern fringes were a part of the adjacent
municipality of "Lazi" now Lazi.

San Juan was organized as a new and distinct municipality
in the sub-province of Siquijor, Negros Oriental by virtue of the "Acta
del Ano 1863". This document which concluded the negotiation for the creation
of the new municipality of San Juan was negotiated by the governadorcillos
of the municipalities of Lazi and Siquijor. Don Francisco Ortiz was sent
by the politico military governor of Cebu, Don Miguel Creus y Campus to
represent him and to act as moderator in the negotiation. It was also attended
by the curas parrocos of the 2 older municipalities and by prominent residents
of the then town site of San Juan.

Worded in Castillan, the historic document defined
the intentions of the inhabitants of San Juan and delineated the present
territorial boundaries of the new municipality. It considerably reduced
the size of the municipality of Siquijor while it also resulted in a slight
shrinkage on the part of Lazi. Although the Acta was signed by the parties
concerned on 24 October 1863, it was only on the 6th day of November 1863
when the district government ratified the document.

THIRD PHILIPPINE REPUBLICWhen the Commonwealth government was re-established
all over the Philippines, a general election was held in the country in
April 1946. Marcial Pal-ing was elected lieutenant governor for the second
time. He ran under the Liberal Party that swept all elective positions
in the government. His second time as governor during the liberation or
post-war period was marked with massive reconstruction and rehabilitation
of infrastructure damaged during the war.

Governor Pal-ing stayed on until 1951 when Eulogio
Omictin who ran and won under the Nacionalista Party succeeded him. Governor
Omictin stayed on until the martial law period, holding the record of the
"longest staying governor."

In 1978, Manolito Asok of Maria succeeded him
who in turn was succeeded by then Vice Governor Lucito Balanay when Governor
Asok was elected assemblyman for the lone district of Siquijor. In the
aftermath of the EDSA revolution Governor Balanay was forced out of office
on orders of Aquilino Pimentel, a henchman of President Cory Aquino. Taking
his place was Orland Fua of Lazi in an OIC capacity. In the 1987 election,
OIC Governor Fua was elected Congressman for the lone district of Siquijor
with an overwhelming majority. Benjamin P. Aquino succeeded him as governor
of Siquijor. In the 1995 elections, Governor Aquino lost to Lucito Balanay
who assumed the office for the second time.

LarenaCanoan, which Larena was used to be known during
the Spanish period, had long been a flourishing township which had a promise
of eventually evolving into a hub of business activities in the whole island.
It was mainly due to this factor that the Spanish authorities developed
it into a headtown or "cabezera" for the whole island of Siquijor.

With the coming of the Americans at the turn of
the century, Canoan still was regarded as a "cabezera" where Governor James
Fugate, the first American governor of Siquijor, held office for some 16
long years ending in 1916. In the same year, the authorities in Manila,
acting on the recommendation of local authorities officially declared Canoan
as a capital town.

During his term which began in 1916, Governor
Demetrio Larena, the first Filipino governor for Negros Oriental and Siquijor,
changed the name Canoan to Larena, his namesake, which was duly approved
by the Philippine legislature.

In 1918, Donato de los Nieves was appointed the
first municipal mayor of Larena, serving until 1922. He was followed by
Timoteo Lomongo who won in the 1922 election. In 1926, Timoteo R. Yurong
became the third elected mayor of Larena. In the following election of
1930, Leoncio Quijano got the majority of the electoral votes and won the
mayoralty seat. Mayor Quijano was followed by Cornelio Padayhag in the
later part of 1937. From 1937 on through the war years, Mayor Padayhag
served his office without break until he was replaced by Francisco Marti
during the early months of the liberation period.

In the first post-war elections of 1946, Nepunoceno
Calibo who ran under the Liberal Party, was elected to office as mayor.
In the 1949 election, Conrado Cayongcong,Sr. was elected to office. He
was followed by Antonio Albito in 1953.

From then on until the declaration of martial
law in 1972, several personalities shared the mayoral seat after every
four years. Mayor Albito was followed by Restituto Calibo. Then Antonio
Albito bounced back to serve as mayor, his second time. In the following
election, he was replaced by Herbert Calibo, who in turn was followed by
Soledado Lumosad. Juanito Calibo followed and stayed for most of the martial
law era and again succeeded by Herbert Calibo.

The post-EDSA revolution saw Mayor Remedios Albito
at the helm of the mayoral office until the present, besting other political
aspirants for the office in 3 successive elections since then.

All through the years, spanning the time before
and after the war, Larena maintained its position as the hub of business
activities in the province. The small but safe port of Larena is a strategic
port of call for merchant ships from major cities in Central Visayas and
Northern Mindanao. It is home to two commercial banks and a rural bank.
Most nationally known commercial establishments usually set their shops
here.

One of the remaining bright spots of the town
of Larena is the continuous evolution of one of its educational institutions.
The Larena Sub-Provincial High School, another landmark, established during
the time of Governor Vicente Villanueva evolved to become the Larena National
Vocational School and ultimately to Siquijor State College, drawing a great
number of young people all over the province and neighboring provinces
to its fold.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTThe absence of written records about the government
of Siquijor before the arrival of the Spaniards in the island does not
necessarily mean the total absence of political leadership in the area.
Oral tradition says that the name of the island, Siquijor, has been derived
from King Kihod, the legendary ruler of the place. Then, too, the present
town of San Juan had long been named Macapilay in honor of its brave and
notorious chief.

From caves, fields and diggings various Chinese
porcelain were found, indicating the arrival of Chinese’s influence in
this island. In the first half of the 19th century, the island was administered
as part of the Province of Cebu. This province was made up of a multitude
of islands like Cebu, Bohol (Bohol), Siquijor, Camotes, Mactan, Bantayan,
Mino, Dawis and Panglao.

The neighboring island of Negros which has been
a 'corregimiento' from the beginning of the 17th century became a province
in 1839 as 'alcaldia mayor de ascenso' and a 'gobierno politico-militar'
in 1855.

The fate of Siquijor changed when Bohol became
a separate province on 22 July 1854. By a royal decree it was constituted
into a politico-military province together with the island of Siquijor.

Simple geographical proximity should have dictated
that Siquijor be made a part of the province of Negros rather than that
of the Bohol; but the seat of the mayoralty was Bacolod on the west coast
of Negros, far away from Siquijor. Tagbilaran on the west coast of Bohol
was decidedly easier to reach.

As early as 1864, the governor of the Visayas
in Cebu proposed the creation of a new 'politico-military government' to
control the eastern part of Negros Island with Dumaguete as the capital.
The proposal further suggested that the Island of Siquijor, which was then
made up of 4 towns, be added to the Oriental coast because it is nearer
(7 miles) away while it is some 20 miles away from Bohol.

By a royal decree of 25 October 1889, the island
of Negros was administratively cut in half. The politico-military government
of Negros Oriental was brought into being. Siquijor however, had not been
included in the new province.

The Decree of Union (joining the island of Siquijor
to the new province of Negros Oriental) was signed by General Valeriano
Weyler (Governor-General of the Philippines) on 19 January 1892 and was
ratified by a Real Order dated December 3 of the same year. Manuel de la
Reguera, Commander of Escalante and Tanjay was appointed temporary Governor
of the Province until May 1890 when its first proprietary Governor,, commander
of the Cavalry Joaquin Taviera took possession of it.

But Siquijor still remained under the hegemony
of a larger and more powerful neighbor, this time it was with Negros Oriental.
It was almost out of reach for administrators who did not reside there,
who rarely visited it and whose interests and concerns clearly lay with
the larger of the two islands. An advantage of this relative geographical
and political isolation was that little of the turmoil that rocked the
entire island of Negros and of the Philippines during the nationalist revolution
of 1896 and the Spanish American war of 1898 ever affected it. The condition
in the island was generally quiet during these troubled times.